Arroyo Monthly September 2011

FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA SEPTEMBER 2011

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arroyo VOLUME 7 | NUMBER 9 | SEPTEMBER 2011

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DESIGN 11 THE HUNT FOR DISTINCTION Myron Hunt, one of Pasadena’s most prolific architects, designed some of Southern California’s most iconic buildings and arenas.

— By Michael Cervin

22 FROM RETRO TO METRO: UPDATING A MID-CENTURY GEM Better Shelter drings its design panache to Pasadena.

— By Morris Newman

25 THE MASTER CRAFTSMAN OF MODERNISM Sam Maloof’s extraordinary furniture is shown in its creative context at The Huntington this month.

— By Bettijane Levine

28 MID-CENTURY MARVELOUS David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture takes us back to a time when furniture was in a delicious groove.

— By Brenda Rees

DEPARTMENTS 9

FESTIVITIES Pasadena Heritage honors “Guardians of Old Pasadena;” The Women’s City Club of Pasadena’s Gloria Gartz Awards

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STYLE SPY Spots and dots — one of the hottest trends for fall

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KITCHEN CONFESSIONS You know how bad French fries are for you?

Well, help is on the way.

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DINING Bar 1886 capitalizes on the great outdoors.

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THE LIST Labor Day in “Boddy’s Big Backyard,” Eugene Onegin at L.A. Opera, the Pasadena Playhouse opens South Street and more

ABOUT THE COVER: Photo by Charmaine David

09.11 | ARROYO | 5

EDITOR’S NOTE

QUICK: WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE words “California modernism”? Pierre Koenig’s iconic Case Study House No. 22, seemingly teetering at the edge of a cliff overlooking Los Angeles? Richard Neutra’s fabulous blocky Kauffman House in Palm Springs? John Lautner’s otherworldly Chemosphere off Mulholland Drive?

Certainly those are the usual suspects, abou which volumes have been written. But those glass-steel-and-concrete landmarks aren’t the whole story. Much like the state itself, home to many a freethinker, California modernism embraces design that marches to the beat of its own drum, while sharing in the sleek new style sensibility that impacted American artists and designers after World War II. Indeed, the late legendary woodworker Sam Maloof, while considered a major figure in the California modern arts movement, had no particular interest in prevailing trends, as you can see in The Huntington’s big fall show about his work and his world: “The House that Sam Built: Sam Maloof and Art in the Pomona Valley, 1945–1985.”

Bettijane Levine previews the exhibition and introduces you to one of the finest woodworkers of our time.

Of course, California modernism still beguiles, helping to shape the current generation of designers and artisans. Brenda Rees talks to Pasadena Community College instructor David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture, who tips his hat to Maloof’s strong vision and legacy as he breathes life into chair-weaving techniques once popular among Danish modern designers. And Morris Newman writes about a recent arrival in Pasadena --Better Shelter, a leader of the stylish new breed of house flippers, which utterly transforms its projects with great clean design before putting them back on the market.

And lest we forget, Michael Cervin looks at the legacy of a predecessor of the modernists and one of Pasadena’s most prominent architects --- Myron Hunt, whose many iconic public structures, such as the Rose Bowl, have outlived design trends to remain an inextricable part of the city’s landscape.

— Irene Lacher

EDITOR IN CHIEF Irene Lacher PRODUCTION MANAGER Yvonne Guerrero ART DIRECTOR Joel Vendette JUNIOR DESIGNER Eisen Nepomuceno

arroyo FINE LIVING IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA

WEB DESIGNER Rudolf Luthi COPY EDITOR John Seeley CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Bilderback, Michael Cervin, Scarlet Cheng, Mandalit del Barco, Patt Diroll, David Gadd, Jenn Garbee, Lynne Heffley, Noela Hueso, Katie Klapper, Carl Kozlowski, Bettijane Levine, Lila Nordstrom, Rachel Padilla, Ilsa Setziol, Kirk Silsbee, John Sollenberger, Nancy Spiller, Bradley Tuck PHOTOGRAPHERS Claire Bilderback,Teri Lyn Fisher, Gabriel Goldberg, Melissa Valladares ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dina Stegon ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Brenda Clarke, Leslie Lamm, Takowa Patterson, Heidi Peterson, Cynthia Vazquez ADVERTISING DESIGNER Rudolf Luthi VP OF FINANCE Michael Nagami

CONTACT US ADVERTISING dinas@pasadenaweekly.com EDITORIAL arroyoeditor@pasadenaweekly.com PHONE (626) 584-1500 FAX (626) 795-0149

HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER Andrea Baker

MAILING ADDRESS 50 S. De Lacey Ave., Ste. 200, Pasadena, CA 91105

BUSINESS MANAGER Angela Wang

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ACCOUNTING Alysia Chavez, Monica MacCree OFFICE ASSISTANT Gina Giovacchini PUBLISHER Jon Guynn 6 | ARROYO | 09.11

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FESTIVITIES

Larry Morrison, Jim Goodell and Ray Spano

More than 150 supporters of Pasadena Heritage tipped their hats to the “Guardians of Old Pasadena,” who defended Old Pasadena against developers’ bulldozers in

FRONT ROW: Steve Mulheim, Jim Goodell, Ray Spano, Larry Morrison, Jim Plotkin, Mayor Bill Bogaard BACK ROW: Bill Ellinger, Katie Harp McLane, Sue Mossman

the 1970s, at a July 16 benefit at the landmark Castle Green. Engraved glass blocks by Judson Studios were presented to honorees Jim Plotkin, Ray Spano, Jim Goodell, Richard Wood and family

Larry Morrison, Steve Mulheim and Mayor Bill Bogaard, who accepted on behalf of the city… The Women’s City Club of Pasadena honored its late Altadena founder with the first Gloria Gartz Awards Dinner on July 30 at the Blinn House, topping off a yearlong celebration of the club’s 65th anniversary. The awards went to executive coach Lois Frankel; Laura Malis, co-founder of the club’s scholarship committee; and Blinn House Foundation head Maria

Teresa Lamb-Simpson, Jim Marrin, Erika Marrin and Bill Ellinger

Schweitzer. High school seniors Sky Lea Ross and Ande Suarez were honored with WCC scholarships.

Sue Mossman, Maggie McDermott, Kenton Nelson, Tessa Nelson,Tina Hart and David Gaines

PHOTOS: Bob Reiter (Women’s City Club); Pasadena Heritage

Len Evans and Mic Hansen, Marsha Rood and board chair Lambert Giessinger

Laura Malis, Lois Frankel and Maria Schweitzer

Sandie Valeriano, Danny Ramos and Rose Lizcano

Julianne Hines and Margaret Houghasian

Ellen Schoenfeld and Yvette-Janine Pardo

Hanna Wood and Steve Mulheim 09.11 | ARROYO | 9

STYLE SPY

Spot On Sign on the dotted line (on your credit card receipt, that is) and pick up one of the hottest trends for fall.

BY RACHEL PADILLA | PHOTOS BY CHRISTIE HEMM What do Minnie Mouse, Lucille Ball and Cruella de Vil all have in common? A love for spots. Perhaps taking a cue from these iconic characters, the fashion industry has re-embraced polka 1

dots as its latest obsession. Stella McCartney, Marc Jacobs and Diane von Furstenberg were just a few of many designers to send models donning dots down the fall 2011 runways. A tip: Do like a dalmatian and stick to black and white. If you’re feeling spot-aneous and want to make a bold statement, wear the look head-to-toe, with dots varying in size. Have fun with this trend and you’ll leave spectators seeing spots.

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Dot bow shell blouse, $78, White House Black Market, Glendale Galleria Polka dot flower pin, $10, J. Crew, Pasadena and The Americana at Brand, Glendale Jacquard dot sweater, $84, White House Black Market, Glendale Galleria Dot pencil skirt, $88, White House Black Market, Glendale Galleria McKay halter dress, $188, Guess by Marciano, Westfield Santa Anita, The Americana at Brand, Glendale

THE HUNT FOR DISTINCTION Myron Hunt, one of Pasadena’s most prolific architects, designed some of Southern California’s most iconic buildings and arenas.

BY MICHAEL CERVIN

DAPPER AND BESPECTACLED, MYRON HUNT HAD A FONDNESS FOR TWEED SUITS AND WAS, BY MOST ACCOUNTS, A SOCIAL GADFLY, ALTHOUGH HE DIDN’T LOOK THE PART — HIS APPEARANCE WAS ALWAYS TIDY AND PERFECT, RESERVED AND PRECISE. HE ALSO DIDN’T SEEM LIKE THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO COULD HAVE CREATED SOME OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S MOST ICONIC ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURES, HIS FORMAL DRESS AND MANNERS BELYING THE CREATIVE WHIRLWIND INSIDE HIS HEAD. IN THE SOUTHLAND ALONE, HIS PROJECTS INCLUDED THE ROSE BOWL, THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL, THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL, CALTECH, RIVERSIDE’S MISSION INN, OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE, PASADENA’S CENTRAL LIBRARY AND THE HUNTINGTON ART GALLERY.

FROM LEFT, CLOCKWISE: La Viña Sanitorium; Competition to design Pasadena Central Library; Rose Bowl construction (1922 )

A pioneer of Mediterranean/Spanish Revival design in the region in the early 1900s, he wasn’t even born in California, nor anywhere particularly sunny, for that matter. Myron Hunt was born in Massachusetts in 1868. Educated at Northwe st-

PHOTOS: Courtesy Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena, California

–continued on page 12

09.11 | ARROYO | 11

–continued from page 11

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FROM LEFT: Myron Hunt breaking ground for a new building, Pasadena Central Library (192 7)

Built in the shape of an inverted “J,” it has 14 rooms separated into day and night sections for scientists –– one of them, Albert Einstein –– working on either solar or nighttime projects. The building also includes a kitchen, dining room and library. The original Monastery was destroyed by fire in 1908, so Hunt designed a new, fire-resistant version in 1909, thus enabling it to escape 2009’s ruthless Station Fire. Simple but effective, the Monastery is still occupied more than 100 years later.

Another example is the Falkner Art Gallery addition to Santa Barbara’s Public Library.

The January 1931 edition of The Architect and Engineer magazine noted, “Mr. Hunt has chosen to design in a distinctly modern style, simply and logically, with nothing freakish or forced but getting the most out of a necessarily limited cost.” Hunt was nothing if not pragmatic. The Great Depression imposed fiscal restraint on projects built during the 1930s. As wood and stone grew scarce, concrete became the new durable building material that was also affordable, and Hunt entered an experimental phase that made heavy use of concrete, as is clearly evident at Occidental College. He utilized different styles and methods, which Watters describes as “a reserved formality and restraint in his adaptation of historic precedents.” All you need do is walk the Occidental campus to see Hunt’s handiwork and use of architectural vocabulary. Hunt played a significant role as the master planner of the original college and as architect for numerous buildings until 1940. His extraordinary body of completed work at Occidental College –– totalling 21 buildings –– sets out a dependable system of organization with an emphasis on spare but elegant structures rendered in a Mediterranean style. Nineteen buildings designed by Hunt have survived, most unaltered.

He was named a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1908 and received the Arthur Noble Medal from the City of Pasadena for Outstanding Civic Service in 1928. Two properties on the market at press time further demonstrate his enduring impact. Located next to the Gamble House and a stone’s throw from Frank Lloyd Wright’s La Miniatura house, a former residence now converted into a commercial property is for sale for $3.5 million. In Ojai, the Hunt-designed Edward Libbey (the financier who created the look and feel of downtown Ojai) estate is on the market for $4 million. Money, of course, does not make a great architect. What made Hunt great was his ability to adapt to changing styles, to work within material and financial constraints and to nonetheless create beauty and functionality everywhere he could. Hunt passed away in 1952 in Port Hue-neme at age 84. He is buried in the San Gabriel Cemetery near another peer of his, Henry Mather Greene of Greene & Greene. ||||

PHOTOS: Courtesy Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena, California

ern University and MIT, he studied under Frank Lloyd Wright, who declared Hunt his “most enthusiastic advocate.” Hunt married Harriette Boardman in 1893 and they moved to Pasadena 10 years later, in part due to her tuberculosis. (She died just a decade later.) After arriving in Pasadena in 1903, Hunt partnered with architect Elmer Grey and joined Pasadena’s burgeoning Craftsman Movement. The region was a tabula rasa for enterprising architects.

“Hunt and a few others brought to Southern California the new academicism that entered American architecture at the turn of the century in the east,” says Sam Watters, author of Houses of Los Angeles: 1885-1919 and Houses of Los Angeles: 19201935. “It’s important to note that Hunt graduated from MIT, one of the early professional architecture schools, and spent time working in the circle of Frank Lloyd Wright before coming west.

This means he was at the intersection of major changes in architecture and brought his knowledge to L.A. in the first decade of the new century as the city entered two decades of both residential and commercial building.”

These two decades were a boon to architects like Hunt and Greene & Greene. His partnership with Grey lasted only five years, however; Grey’s failing health led to the dissolution of the partnership just as they were moving away from Craftsman style and into Mediterranean and Spanish motifs. But their early Craftsman work was noted in 1913 by an architecture critic in The Country House magazine: “Myron Hunt, Elmer Grey and Greene and Greene in the vicinity of Los Angeles are all designing houses which are picturesque without being affected and free and bold without in general being freakish and bizarre. Their work gives one the sense, so rare in this country, of being at once freely and vigorously imagined and carefully composed.”

That was also the year Harriette died. The tuberculosis she contracted in Massachusetts had slowly sapped her energy and Hunt, unable to help provide a cure, may have subconsciously found an expression for his loss in his work. “My mother being sick in the hospital may have influenced [my father’s] interest in the design of hospitals –– La Viña Sanitarium, the Pasadena Hospital, Huntington Memorial Hospital and Los Angeles County Hospital,” son Hubbard Hunt recalled in a 1984 oral history.

From 1910 to 1929, Hunt was caught up in a whirlwind of activity, bringing to life his greatest and most enduring works –– including the Rose Bowl, which celebrates its 90th birthday in 2012. Hunt’s Rose Bowl was a horseshoe design with roses on the open earthbanked sides. Three years later, the south end was built out to increase the seating capacity from 57,000 to 76,000. That period also saw the realization of his designs at the Mission Inn in Riverside; on the Caltech, Pomona and Occidental college campuses; the Pasadena Central Library; the Huntington Estate; and even a hotel (now the Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy) commissioned by U.S. Sen. Frank Flint for his own suburb, Flintridge –– all told, some 500 projects in 19 years, including homes, churches and country clubs.

Myron Hunt has left an impressive legacy, even if few people today are quite sure who he was. “He was a product of an era when architects succeeded to the extent that they were able to synthesize historic styles,” Watters says. “Clearly, the scale of his practice suggests that his synthesis and organization appealed to a broad base of clients in a building boom.”

True enough, but beyond that, Pasadena deeply bears Hunt’s vision; his design stamp on public buildings is nearly ubiquitous. And greatness is not always measured in an architect’s signature buildings. In addition to the celebrated works, there are the obscure practical buildings architecture magazines overlook, which nonetheless show Hunt’s attention to detail and, to this day, quietly continue to serve their purpose. Constructed as a dormitory for the Mount Wilson Observatory staff and visiting scientists, the Monastery, as it is called, is situated at the end of a rocky outcropping with drop-offs on three sides.

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FEET ON THE GROUND, HEAD IN THE CLOUDS: CHOOSING THE IDEAL FLOORS AND COUNTERTOPS FOR YOUR HOME

BY JOANNA DEHN BERESFORD BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE’S NOTHING SUPERFICIAL ABOUT SURFACES. NOT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR HOME. THE SURFACES IN YOUR HOUSE, CONDOMINIUM, APARTMENT, TENT OR TRAILER CONVEY MEANING, AND SPEAK TO YOU, YOUR FAMILY AND GUESTS WITH SURPRISING TONE AND VOLUME. THIS PREOCCUPATION WITH EXTERIORS IS NOT JUST A SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PHENOMENON; SURFACES EVERYWHERE PORTRAY AND BETRAY US. AND THE CHOICES FOR HOMEOWNERS AND DESIGNERS WHO CREATE OR RECREATE HOME ENVIRONMENTS ARE LIMITLESS. –continued on page 18

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–continued from page 17 Expectations have changed dramatically when it comes to flooring and countertops, in part due to technology. The myriad options in this area can be daunting because the selection of style, color, texture and material has become quite vast. But, don’t overlook the floors or countertops beneath your hands or feet. Because surface choices represent some of the most important and primary impressions that anyone who steps through the door of your home receives, and because, like any choice that you make regarding your home décor, they represent an investment of resources – surfaces merit your thoughtful attention.

When you’re planning a renovation or establishing a new home, try to make some assessment of your needs and your budget before you venture towards a builder, professional designer or a retail outlet. Consider pragmatics, like the traffic patterns and the typical activities in your home. What kind of furnishings and decorative elements already exist in the spaces that you envision? How important are issues of durability and aesthetics to you and your family? Who will spend the most time in these spaces of your home? Record these thoughts in a notebook or portfolio if possible. Research design books, magazines and on-

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–continued from page 18 hickory, maple, elm, cherry, pecan, zebra and other exotic genera. Additionally, many wood types can be stained in different hues and finishes. Benefits of hardwood flooring include: increased value of the home; ease of cleaning and maintenance; ambient warmth of tone; relative comfort and durability. Buying and installing a hardwood floor can be expensive, but the investment can last for decades.

Carpeting, on the other hand, is still considered an essential element of any luxury home – especially when incorporated in subtle and selective ways. Not only does carpet come in countless colors, weaves, density and length, it can also be cut, sized and shaped to suit your tastes and needs in a particular space. Carpeting generally provides a layer of insulation from cold weather, and can reduce noise levels throughout the home. It is especially ideal for children or older family members because, as a virtually non-slip surface, carpeting can reduce the risk of injury from slips and falls. Carpeting also provides a level of comfort, a soft and forgiving surface for tired feet and legs, and it’s remarkably durable. New carpets resist stains, odors and the rigors of use; advances in technology have made it likely for carpet to last for 10-15 years or more in your home.

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FROM RETRO TO METRO: UPDATING A MID-CENTURY GEM BETTER SHELTER BRINGS ITS DESIGN PANACHE TO PASADENA.

BY MORRIS NEWMAN

HOMES THAT UNDERGO THE BETTER SHELTER DESIGN TREATMENT CAN MAKE A STRONG IMPRESSION.“WHEN I SAW THE WHOLE AESTHETIC, I KIND OF KNEW THAT’S WHAT I WANTED,” IMARI MCDERMOTT SAYS OF VIEWING A HOUSE IN SILVER LAKE RENOVATED BY THE LOS ANGELES–BASED HOUSE-FLIPPING FIRM. SO WHEN A REMODEL BY BETTER SHELTER, WHICH ADDS PROVOCATIVE DESIGN TO EXISTING HOMES BEFORE RESELLING THEM, CAME ON THE MARKET IN HER NEIGHBORHOOD TWO YEARS AGO,“I JUMPED ON IT,” SAYS THE HIGHLAND PARK BUSINESS OWNER. Good looks help the hipper flippers, who recently expanded their territory into Pasadena, move the merchandise. Although many investors have made a living — or tried to — by buying and reselling undervalued houses, Better Shelter is likely among the first to brand its renovation efforts with an identifiable look and sensibility. The style includes an open floor plan, lots of windows and natural light, built-in cabinets and storage spaces and a unified color scheme. And poking a thumb in the eye of modernist austerity is the staging — chockablock with artworks, lamps, sculpture and oddball objects personally collected by Steve Jones, a partner in the firm and its chief designer. Yet Jones frequently alludes to his love of California modernism of the 1930s through the ’50s, and he clearly respects design that reflects rational–continued on page 24

22 | ARROYO | 09.11

PHOTOS: Charmaine David

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT A DEVELOPER IS?” ASKS JONES, WHO

PASADENA PIONEER Better Shelter imbued 2427 Loma Vista St. with a sense of spaciousness and sustainability.

THEN ANSWERS HIS OWN QUESTION: “A REAL WILD OPTIMIST.”

09.11 | ARROYO | 23

–continued from page 22

ity and sensitivity to the sun-filled climate. And while his design incorporates the helterskelter of the thrift store, there’s nothing cluttered or even remotely Shabby Chic about it.

His materials and accents, spare and carefully curated as they are, still reflect the restraint of his modernist predecessors.

For its first Pasadena rollout, at 2427 Loma Vista St., Better Shelter chose a modest mid-century modern ranch built in 1955, with a board-and-batten exterior, tucked incongruously among the cottages and bungalows near Victory Park. The effect of Jones’ design can make even a small house like this one appear impressive, according to sales agent Jennifer Parker-Stanton of deasy/penner & partners, who has sold four Better Shelter houses and is currently showing the three-bedroom Loma Vista house. “People always say how impressed they are by the space, even though the house is only 1,500 square feet,” she says. At Loma Vista, the sense of spaciousness is achieved by a calculated contrast between the white walls and darkly stained oak floors. The color strategy, says Parker-Stanton, makes the white walls seem to float above the black floor, so that the interior appears larger than it is. Jones originally painted the exterior a dazzling white but later changed his mind, repainting the house gray. The lighter color, he says, was “a little too progressive for Pasadena.”

The Better Shelter treatment goes well beyond a new coat of paint and flea-market finds. Jones and business partner Peter Zehner will remove walls to open the room to light and views, relocate windows and replace them with larger panes and raise ceiling heights.

Outdoors, the firm typically installs an entirely new landscape of sustainable plants, surrounding the yard with a new fence of natural wood to maximize privacy. The firm’s mission statement includes commitments to both green building practices and affordability.

Indeed, Jones does not take the easy road to home design. “He keeps the integrity of the original house while making it look new,” says buyer McDermott. On one job, Jones removed a set of original windows he thought too small. Instead of cheaply rebuilding 24 | ARROYO | 09.11

the window frames, the designer searched salvage dealers to find larger windows in the original style.

Idiosyncratic décor, however, is perhaps the most eye-catching fingerprint of a Better Shelter house, offering buyers fresh inspiration for their own style scheme. Jones stages the houses with an oddball mix of artworks, objets trouvés and period furniture. Pasadena has been a treasure trove for the designer, who has culled nearly all the art objects from flea markets, particularly those at the Rose Bowl and Pasadena Community College. These oddball collectibles — blankets with woven mason symbols, a suitcase with a message painted on its side, a set of vintage surfer photographs — add warmth, nostalgia and even a note of wicked humor into the mix. “I throw it all in the blender,” the designer says.

Prior to real estate, Jones had distinguished himself in several fields of design. The Orange County native and ex-surfer spent 20 years as head designer of sportswear at Quiksilver, a maker of ski- and surfwear, before leaving to form Better Shelter 10 years ago.

Zehner is a former real estate agent who manages construction and the financial side.

Jones’s idealism as a designer is counterbalanced by a cold-eyed realism about the housing market, which remains sluggish. He seems unfazed by mention of the housing slump, however. “If you are offering a property that’s a little better than the others and price it competitively, it will sell,” he says. And sell quickly: Many of Better Shelter’s homes move in 30 days or less — not unusual for boom times, perhaps, but eye-opening in the current doldrums, when houses can wait many months for a buyer. The Loma Vista house, however, was still on the market after two months, listed for $634,000 at press time. Perhaps it takes a little longer to sell an unexpectedly contemporary home in the traditional neighborhood of East Pasadena. Or the sellers may have to adjust the price in a still-draggy market. "The market is everything," says Jones, sounding philosophical. But he remains confident.

“Do you know what a developer is?” asks Jones, who then answers his own question: “A real wild optimist.” With a really great eye, one might add. ||||

PHOTOS: Charmaine David; Jeri Koegel (Steve Jones)

A FRESH NEW FACE (From top left) Better Shelter’s chief designer, Steve Jones, stages his spaces with eccentric flea market finds; the firm’s Los Angeles homes have ecofriendly yards and espresso floors that make them seem larger than they are.

PHOTO: Alfreda Maloof, courtesy of the Maloof Foundation

Sam Maloof in workshop with hornback chairs, about 1960.

The Master Craftsman of Modernism Sam Maloof’s extraordinary furniture is shown in its creative context at The Huntington this month.

BY BETTIJANE LEVINE 09.11 | ARROYO | 25

Maloof ’s simple, practical hardwood tables, hutches, cradles and chairs are prized by major museums and private collectors. His iconic saddle-seat, lumbar-support rockers have soothed the backs and bottoms of Presidents Carter, Reagan and Clinton. Books have been written about the sensuous curves and swoops of his designs and the genius of their construction: Each wood segment was designed in his head and cut by his hand, and the various parts were joined invisibly, without the use of nails or hardware.

Reporters and magazine writers have rhapsodized on the brilliance and utility of his creations. In 1985, he became the only craftsperson to receive a “genius grant” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. And yet, up until the end of his life, Maloof ’s business cards identified him simply as a woodworker –– a craftsperson proud to work with his hands.

26 | ARROYO | 09.11

Maloof ’s work has been exhibited many times across the country. But from Sept. 24 through Jan. 30, 2012, The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens will show it in a totally new context. “The House That Sam Built: Sam Maloof and Art in the Pomona Valley, 1945–1985” will spotlight art made by Maloof and 35 of his friends. It explores Maloof ’s contribution to California modernism, the evolution of art in Southern California and the vibrant interchange among artists and artisans who worked and lived near him in the rural Pomona valley.

The exhibition is part of “Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. from 1945–1980,” a unique collaboration with the Getty Research Institute that brings together some 30 cultural institutions across Southern California to chronicle the roots of the regional art scene.

Sam Maloof was a huge presence all through those years, the core of an emerging group of painters, ceramists, weavers, wood turners and artists in various other media –– all of whom thrived in the Pomona Valley, in relative isolation from urban L.A., and away from the usual thoroughfares to fame and fortune. Indeed, the Los Angeles Times obituary for Maloof states that he had “turned down multimillion-dollar offers to mass-produce his original designs.” That’s because his life’s goal was to help people appreciate “what it was like to live with a handcrafted object in which there was a kind of union between maker, object and owner,” Jeremy Adamson, author of The Furniture of Sam Maloof (Norton; 2001), told the Times. The Pomona Valley artist group that formed in the late 1940s was one of many that sprouted across postwar America as the country turned from manufacturing weapons to mass-producing goods for civilian life. Many young artists and designers left the military and returned to making art, but the ones who settled in the Pomona Valley differed from their counterparts in Los Angeles who enjoyed beach life and proximity to Hollywood glamour. The Pomona circle sustained itself on friendship, the beauty of nature and the resources of the nearby Claremont Colleges, which provided employment for many of the struggling young talents. The Huntington’s curator of American decorative arts, Harold B. “Hal” Nelson, who curated the Maloof show, was also editor of the handsome companion catalogue. “The presence of nationally prominent educational institutions in the Pomona area –– particularly Pomona College, Scripps

PHOTOS: Courtesy of The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, Alfreda Maloof, courtesy of the Maloof Foundation (Maloof dining room)

WHEN SAM MALOOF DIED IN 2009 AT 93, HE WAS RENOWNED AS ONE OF AMERICA’S FOREMOST FURNITURE MAKERS AND A LEADER OF THE CALIFORNIA MODERN ARTS MOVEMENT --IN SHORT, AN ARTISAN WHOSE EXTRAORDINARY HANDMADE PIECES WERE CELEBRATED AS BOTH CRAFT AND ART.

PHOTO: James Reese

FROM LEFT, CLOCKWISE: Alfreda Maloof in dining room of the Maloof home, about 1964; upholstered, double-flared-back occasional chair with sculptured arms (1958); freestanding cradle, 1992 (form introduced in 1975); double music stand (1969) and chair (1972); desk hutch (1970); desk hutch detail; low-back bar or counter stool (1955); cork-topped desk (1953) and chair (1952); occasional “string” chair (1950); Sam Maloof coffee table (1958) owned by painter Karl Benjamin, with ceramics by Gertrud and Otto Natzler

College and the Claremont Graduate School (now known as Claremont Graduate University) –– furnished a rich intellectual context for this community,” Nelson says. Nelson notes that the Claremont professors and students, many of whom stayed in the area after graduation to pursue careers in the arts, formed the foundation of an artistic community that continues to flourish in the Pomona Valley.

Maloof himself never went to college, nor did he have any formal training in his craft. He liked to say that furniture-making was a gift that came naturally to him. He dreamed up the design, cut the pieces freehand with his bandsaw and joined them together seamlessly in a manner deemed extraordinary –– even soulful –– by connoisseurs and critics.

Maloof ’s work stood apart from that of his peers. “So many other important designers, such as Charles and Ray Eames, were working with new materials, such as plastic and molded plywood, designing for industry and mass production,” Nelson says. Maloof ignored new trends in styles and materials, preferring his own simple designs crafted by hand to suit clients’ individual needs. His work differed from much of mainstream modernism, instead adding clean curves and other modern twists to traditional forms.

Born in Chino one of nine children of Lebanese immigrants, Maloof was recognized as gifted early on, by an art teacher at Chaffey High School in Ontario, where he took his first woodworking class. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II, and after serving in the Pacific theater and Alaska, returned to the Pomona Valley in 1945. He took a job as an assistant to prominent painter and muralist Millard Sheets, also a Pomona native. Maloof soon met and married his wife, Alfreda, and when their first child was on the way (and his salary from Sheets too small to raise a family), he decided to go into business for himself as a woodworker and furniture maker. His workshop was his garage in Ontario until 1953, when they moved to Alta Loma.

The Maloofs forged friendships with their artist neighbors and often dined, traveled and exchanged works of art with them. The couple’s home became filled with his own furniture creations, along with drawings, paintings, weavings and ceramics made by others in their close circle. The circle included his former employer, Sheets; sculptor Albert

Stewart, ceramists William Manker, Harrison McIntosh and Richard Patterson; enamelists Arthur and Jean Ames and weaver Marion “Hoppy” Stewart.

The group focused on improving and perfecting their work, enjoying the process as much as the end product. Maloof, it appears, became famous almost in spite of himself. His life revolved around his wife, two children and the workshop he eventually built on the grounds of the family home, which he also built by hand, continuing to add onto it throughout the years.

The Huntington show is designed to approximate the intimacy and artistry of that expansive home setting, says curator Nelson. “The House That Sam Built” features 116 of the circle’s works from private and public collections. Among them are 35 Maloof furniture pieces in a display that integrates his work with pieces by friends and colleagues who worked in other media.

As Maloof ’s fame increased, his fortune did not always keep pace. It took weeks to make each piece of furniture and he was frequently backlogged with orders whose cost in time and energy did not necessarily match the relatively modest price tags he placed on his creations. At the age of 69, when he received the tax-free MacArthur “genius grant” of $375,000, to be delivered over a five-year period, he was reported to breathe a sigh of relief at this well-timed windfall for his family fortunes.

But sit on a Maloof rocking chair (there’s one in the show accessible to visitors). Or gaze upon the wondrous, burnished walnut cradle crafted by Maloof –– it’s a celebration of birth and the joy of creation –– and one can understand why this artist might have considered himself rich beyond monetary measure. As Maloof said in 1980, “Each time someone who has one of my pieces sits on a chair, uses a table or opens a chest, I want that person to know that it was made just for him and that there is satisfaction and enjoyment in the object for us both.” |||| “The House That Sam Built: Sam Maloof and Art in the Pomona Valley, 1945–1985” runs from Sept. 24 through Jan. 30, 2012, at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. The museum’s hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day except Tuesday, when it is closed. The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino.

Call (626) 405-2100 or visit Huntington.org.

09.11 | ARROYO | 27

Maria chair

THERE’S AN INFORMAL SAYING AMONG DESIGNERS THAT CREATING A PIECE OF FURNITURE IS AKIN TO MAKING A BOX. A SIMPLE BOX? THINK ABOUT IT: WHETHER IT’S A COUCH, CHAIR,TABLE OR BED FRAME, EACH PIECE IS LIKE AN OPEN CUBE, EITHER RECTANGULAR OR SQUARE. BOIL IT DOWN, AND ANY PIECE OF

MID-CENTURY MARVELOUS David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture takes us back to a time when furniture was in a delicious groove.

BY BRENDA REES

28 | ARROYO | 09.11

PHOTOS: Courtesy of David Johnson

FURNITURE IS A REALLY A PLAIN OLD BOX IN DISGUISE. While practically anyone can slap together a simple box, it’s the rare creative spirit who can turn that box into a piece of high-end functional art that can satisfy the soul today and decades later. Consider Highland Park furniture designer David Johnson, designer/proprietor of Sidecar Furniture, who’s continuing a Southern California tradition of handcrafting practical objects much as the renowned Arts and Crafts artisans did a century ago. Johnson, however, is drawing on the ideals of a later period — the clean lines of mid-century modernism — and propping them up with 2011 sensibilities. Sidecar’s lines echo those sleek designs and riff on modern masters of the 1950s and ’60s, sometimes giving a nod to the ’70s. Johnson’s low-slung Maria chair, composed of walnut with a cane seat and back, is a tribute to Hans J. Wegner’s classic woven chairs. Johnson’s turntable cabinet practically jumps out of a picture postcard from the 1960s, when every home had a swinging Zenith record player. His simple teak cabinet brings back the Scandinavian 1950s with panel details that would make Kaare Klint — the father of Danish modernism — nod in approval.

“I feel more comfortable around old than new,” says Johnson, 43, from his home studio/workshop. The California Central Valley native gleans inspiration from varied sources: vintage motorcycles, black-and-white TV programs like The Andy Griffith Show, grand old cars, not to mention the antique furniture he collected and sold in his late teens and early 20s. “I really like a variety of art styles, especially art nouveau, but when I sit down to design, that’s not what comes out of me. My head and hands go completely another different way.”

Setting up shop in Southern California in 2008, Johnson brought with him clients from his early days as a furniture designer in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, but Southland folks are also discovering and embracing his vision. “I met David at a recent Dwell on Design show and fell in love with his stuff,” says Brian Macken of Highland Park, –continued on page 30 09.11 | ARROYO | 29

Maria chair

THERE’S AN INFORMAL SAYING AMONG DESIGNERS THAT CREATING A PIECE OF FURNITURE IS AKIN TO MAKING A BOX. A SIMPLE BOX? THINK ABOUT IT: WHETHER IT’S A COUCH, CHAIR,TABLE OR BED FRAME, EACH PIECE IS LIKE AN OPEN CUBE, EITHER RECTANGULAR OR SQUARE. BOIL IT DOWN, AND ANY PIECE OF

MID-CENTURY MARVELOUS David Johnson of Sidecar Furniture takes us back to a time when furniture was in a delicious groove.

BY BRENDA REES

28 | ARROYO | 09.11

PHOTOS: Courtesy of David Johnson

FURNITURE IS A REALLY A PLAIN OLD BOX IN DISGUISE. While practically anyone can slap together a simple box, it’s the rare creative spirit who can turn that box into a piece of high-end functional art that can satisfy the soul today and decades later. Consider Highland Park furniture designer David Johnson, designer/proprietor of Sidecar Furniture, who’s continuing a Southern California tradition of handcrafting practical objects much as the renowned Arts and Crafts artisans did a century ago. Johnson, however, is drawing on the ideals of a later period — the clean lines of mid-century modernism — and propping them up with 2011 sensibilities. Sidecar’s lines echo those sleek designs and riff on modern masters of the 1950s and ’60s, sometimes giving a nod to the ’70s. Johnson’s low-slung Maria chair, composed of walnut with a cane seat and back, is a tribute to Hans J. Wegner’s classic woven chairs. Johnson’s turntable cabinet practically jumps out of a picture postcard from the 1960s, when every home had a swinging Zenith record player. His simple teak cabinet brings back the Scandinavian 1950s with panel details that would make Kaare Klint — the father of Danish modernism — nod in approval.

“I feel more comfortable around old than new,” says Johnson, 43, from his home studio/workshop. The California Central Valley native gleans inspiration from varied sources: vintage motorcycles, black-and-white TV programs like The Andy Griffith Show, grand old cars, not to mention the antique furniture he collected and sold in his late teens and early 20s. “I really like a variety of art styles, especially art nouveau, but when I sit down to design, that’s not what comes out of me. My head and hands go completely another different way.”

Setting up shop in Southern California in 2008, Johnson brought with him clients from his early days as a furniture designer in Santa Cruz and San Francisco, but Southland folks are also discovering and embracing his vision. “I met David at a recent Dwell on Design show and fell in love with his stuff,” says Brian Macken of Highland Park, –continued on page 30 09.11 | ARROYO | 29

who commissioned Johnson to build a lanky, lowslung bamboo TV console. “It’s the only piece of handmade furniture I have in the house, and not one day goes by without me looking at it and thinking ‘That is so beautiful.’ This piece will be with me for the rest of my life, and hopefully one of my kids will take it with them.”

In addition to annual design shows and Sidecar Furniture’s online photo galleries (sidecarfurniture.com), Johnson’s pieces, which range in price from $400 for a stool to $7,500 for the TV console, are showcased at WhyrHymer gallery in Hollywood. “David takes traditions and turns them on their head,” says owner Brandon Morrison, also a furniture designer. “What I really like is his caning; it’s something that’s not easy to do, and it complements his designs in a contemporary way. It’s just beautiful to look at.”

Indeed, Johnson’s weaving prowess — an homage to mid-century techniques — adds another layer to his furniture pieces, distinguishing them from the work of many other designers. A quick lesson: Very popular in 17th-century England, woven cane furniture was once favored in conservatories and dining rooms of the wealthy.

Rattan saw its American heyday in the late 1800s, when it was used in settees, rocking chairs and cabinets. Weaving experienced its last wave in chair design during the 1960s and ’70s. The four traditional weaving patterns include: the Danish cord pattern which uses tightly compressed paper or cane (the outer layer of the rattan palm); the seagrass pattern (popular for baskets); the rush pattern (typically done with cattails, paper rush or Danish cord); and the Shaker tape-and-wood splint, an over/under pattern used on early American and Shaker chairs.

Weaving is a labor-intensive process, says Johnson, who learned the basics from Jim’s Widess’ book The Complete Guide to Chair Caning. “I think the reason why [weaving] appealed to me is that I wanted my [furniture] to be mixed media,” says Johnson. “This gives my work another level that you don’t see every day. It’s another voice.”

In addition to creating stools, chairs and door designs that feature woven elements, Johnson restores damaged woven furniture, sad pieces that all come to him with a story. “We had a full dining room set with 10 chairs from the 1950s, classic woven seats in need of restoration because we were hosting Thanksgiving that year at our house,” says Robert Puertas of Irvine. The chairs were suffering from frazzled and fragmented strands, and damaged and broken backs.

30 | ARROYO | 09.11

Writing desk

“I REALLY LIKE A VARIETY OF ART STYLES, ESPECIALLY ART NOUVEAU, BUT WHEN I SIT DOWN TO DESIGN, THAT’S NOT WHAT COMES OUT OF ME. MY HEAD AND HANDS GO COMPLETELY ANOTHER DIFFERENT WAY.”

Turntable

TV console

“Most of them you couldn’t sit in. We were going to tell people to not BYO beer but BYO chair,” says Puertas, who met Johnson at a design show. Johnson came to his house, picked up the patients and, in two weeks, returned them all in fine form. “Honest to goodness, they look practically new,” Puertas says. “He duplicated the pattern and did a beautiful job.”

(This fall, Johnson will be teaching his firstever Danish cord-weaving class at Pasadena City College as one of its Extended Learning offerings.

At press time, the course was tentatively scheduled for Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon, Sept. 24 through Oct. 15.)

Johnson’s path to furniture design began at Cabrillo College near Santa Cruz, where he studied art history before enrolling in the College of the Redwoods Fine Woodworking Program on the Mendocino coast. Founded by Swedish furniture-maker James Krenov (who studied under the master woodworker Carl Malmsten), the school, says Johnson, reflects a distinct European influence in its courses, teaching methods and direction — lessons embodied in Johnson’s work today. “We were instructed to slow everything down, pay attention to every move and detail,” explains Johnson, who can take as long as three months to perfect an intricate TV console. “No shortcuts, no going quick or punching it up. Slow it all down and pay attention to balance, form and proportion as well as color and texture of the wood. Let nothing escape your eye.”After completing the intensive nine-month program, Johnson moved to Santa Cruz and joined a woodworking arts collective where he continued to develop his own style. (“It was an idyllic setting overlooking a graveyard!”)

From there, he took on a stint in San Francisco at a cabinet shop (“A great education in dealing with clients, sub-contractors, the practical stuff ”) and another art collective, where Sidecar Furniture was eventually born. Along the way, he kept refining and honing his craft, inspired in part by the life work of California woodworker extraordinaire Sam Maloof.

“While Maloof ’s designs were — and are — widely copied, I think how he worked and developed his techniques most strike me,” says Johnson. “Maloof had really only a handful of techniques, but it’s how he played with them, enjoyed them and expanded on them — that’s how he was able to develop his own language with such artistry. That’s the Maloof that impresses me, and that’s what I am trying to follow with my art as well.” ||||

PHOTOS: Courtesy of David Johnson

–continued from page 29

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

Lord of the Fries You know how bad French fries are for you? It turns out they’re even worse. But help is on the way.

BY LESLIE BILDERBACK | PHOTOS BY CLAIRE BILDERBACK

The latest news from the Land of Nice Try is that McDonald’s has addressed America’s obesity epidemic by reducing the portion of French fries in the Happy Meal from 2.4 ounces to 1.1 ounce and adding a serving of apple slices to the menu. Parents who regularly sneak fries out of their kids’ lunch (“Look behind you, Susie. Isn’t that Justin Bieber?”) are out of luck, as one or two fries gone missing will now be blatantly obvious. This turns out to be a smart move by Mickey D’s, as it will no doubt increase the sale of large fries as a Happy-Meal side order.

When I was growing up, McDonald’s was a treat reserved for road trips and special outings. It was not, as it is today, a substitute for proper parenting. For that, we had TV dinners and Gilligan’s Island reruns. I was never a huge fan (Ronald McDonald is a scary dude); I preferred A&W’s Baby Burger and accompanying mini-mug of frothy root beer. That was until college, when I discovered the post–frat party restorative powers of the Filet-O-Fish.

But since viewing Morgan Spurlock’s 2004 film Super Size Me, we have not ventured near the golden arches, nor any other similar establishment. That doesn’t mean we have forgone the French fry, though. On the contrary, I have willingly ignored the health warnings attached to those crispy fried spuds for years. Never mind that they contain carcinogenic acrylamide (a cancer-causing chemical created by cooking –continued on page 32 09.11 | ARROYO | 31

KITCHEN CONFESSIONS

–continued from page 31 starchy food at a high temperature), increase the risk of coronary artery disease from which 500,000 Americans die each year, or that no matter how initially satisfying, they will inevitably leave the aftertaste of regret. They are, after all, the third most popular food in America, after hamburgers and hot dogs. (Except for a brief period in 2003 when Congress went a little nuttier than usual and declared them “freedom” and not “French.” Stupid Congress. They were only called “French fries” because American soldiers in World War II assumed that the French-speaking waiters serving them fried potatoes were French... even though they were in Belgium. And we wonder why they hate us.)

Yes, when out on the town I will occasionally indulge in fried potatoes. At home, though, I have taken to simulating them in the oven with great success, thanks to Oprah and her personal chef, whose egg-white–coated, Cajun-seasoned, highroasted wedges took dieting tables by storm 20 years ago. But now, horror of horrors, I can’t even get away with that.

That’s right, folks, straight from the halls of Harvard comes a new study published in

The New England Journal of Medicine containing the startling news that a potato, regardless of its preparation, is as fattening as a can of Coke or a slice of chocolate cake. (Years of Oprah fries for nothing!) It all boils down to the potato’s high glycemic index, which is the measure of how quickly food releases glucose into the bloodstream. A slow release, or low glycemic index, is better. An exhaustive survey of the one openly diabetic person I know reveals that indeed, potatoes make him feel like crap and are, in essence, Satan’s fodder.

It’s a sad day in Tummy Town when a food with such a noble history comes to this humiliating demise. A native of Peru, the potato was domesticated some 8,000 years ago and became the principal source of energy for the Inca Empire, thanks to the world’s first freeze-dried food, known as chuño. Small potatoes were spread on the

Sweet Potato Oven Fries For this recipe you may use sweet potatoes or yams, which are really the same thing.

Most so-called “yams” in American markets are actually sweet potatoes.True yams are sometimes available in Asian markets, are much sweeter and can still be used in this recipe. Confused? Sorry.

INGREDIENTS 3 large sweet potatoes, sliced in half-inch sticks, wheels or wedges 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon curry powder or Cajun seasoning (optional) 2 egg whites

METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 450˚. Coat a large non-stick baking sheet with pan spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine potatoes and seasoning. Add egg whites and toss together until well coated.

3. Spread out in one layer on prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir briefly, then return and bake another 10 minutes. Repeat for another 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes are brown on the outside and tender on the inside.

ground and allowed to freeze in the Andean night air. Warmed in the morning by the hot sun, they were trampled by foot to remove water and skins (and, one assumes, to impart a certain footy je ne sais quoi). The process, repeated for several days, resulted in an easily reconstituted potato that could be frozen for years in the underground storehouses of the Andean Altiplano — South America’s highest plateau.

Transported to Europe by the Spanish, potatoes were slow to catch on and were considered emergency rations and animal food until it was revealed that this reliable crop yielded two to four times more calories per acre than grain — reliable, that is, until a lack of genetic diversity led to blight in the 1840s, the resulting Irish Potato Famine and consequent migration to the New World. So not only can we blame the conquistadors for our fat hips, but also the green beer we’re forced to drink in March.

Americans consume 125 pounds of potatoes per year. That’s due, no doubt, to our habit of hash browns for breakfast, fries for lunch and mashers for dinner. (I also lay blame firmly at the feet of the guy who decided to use the leftover potato skins as a

Real Tomato Ketchup

delivery vessel for melted cheese, sour cream and bacon. I believe his name was Fri-

Why not serve your new, healthier fries with a new and healthier condiment? You can strut your culinary stuff while simultaneously avoiding corn syrup. Bam! Pow!

day — TGI Friday.)

INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 8 large tomatoes, diced ½ cup honey ½ cup cider vinegar 1 cinnamon stick, crushed ¼ teaspoon whole cloves ¼ teaspoon allspice 1 teaspoon celery seed 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 tablespoon paprika 1 teaspoon kosher salt

ica. There is light at the end of our tuber tunnel. Uncoil yourself from that fetal position

32 | ARROYO | 09.11

METHOD 1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add tomatoes, honey, vinegar, cinnamon stick and cloves, and stir to moisten. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add allspice, celery seed, mustard, salt and paprika, and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

2. Working in batches, run sauce through a food processor, blender or food mill until it becomes a smooth purée. Strain through a wire mesh strainer back into the saucepan, and place over high heat. Cook, stirring continuously, and reduce until desired thickness is reached, about 10 to 15 minutes. Chill before serving.

How will our collective psyche respond to this latest development? Fear not, Amerand behold the sweet potato. This superfood is twice as nutritious as the regular potato and has a greatly reduced glycemic index (54, compared to the regular potato’s 85 — provided you do not top it with mini-marshmallows and brown sugar). It will quell your craving for starch, fill that empty space on your plate next to the hamburger and increase your intake of vitamins A and B6, other antioxidants, potassium, iron and soluble fiber. Sound too good to be true? It probably is, but we won’t know for sure until the next Ivy League study is published. |||| Leslie Bilderback is a certified master baker, chef and cookbook author. A South Pasadena resident, she teaches her techniques online at culinarymasterclass.com.

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–continued from page 35 sibilities. Concrete is both beautiful and profoundly durable, and it’s remarkably adaptable.

This is a material that can be made to resemble the most expensive kinds of flooring, such as brick, flagstone and slate, yet concrete can be poured in nearly any thickness and density, and in the hands of a skillful craftsperson, it can overcome any spatial challenge.

AND THEN THERE’S VINYL AND LAMINATE Homeowners with active lifestyles, children and pets often fear that natural materials may not be a practical choice for the surfaces of their home. The advances in laminate and vinyl production make it possible for even the busiest family with the most free spirited children and animals to achieve the appearance of such materials as wood and stone – without much of the worry and sense of responsibility. The quality of laminates and vinyl has improved tremendously over the last decade, and the variety of patterns, colors and style of these materials is enormous. Laminates can replicate the colors, grains and textures of ceramic tile or woods convincingly and at a reasonable cost. Many premium laminates offer a 20-25 year warranty against stains, fading, wear and tear. Vinyls can also replicate natural surfaces and they offer a versatile, durable and convenient alternative for floor and countertop surfaces.

ASK THE EXPERTS To facilitate your search for the right surface materials for your home, you may want to enlist the expertise of a designer, craftsperson or retail professional. Talk to architects, builders and decorators about the most reputable providers and artisans in the area.

Visit showrooms, interview installers and suppliers, talk to your friends and neighbors.

–continued on page 38

MODERN LIGHTING QUALITY SINCE 1946

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Monday-Friday 8:30-5:00 Saturday 9:00-4:00 09.11 | ARROYO | 37

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

–continued from page 37 Compare prices and workmanship, weigh the opinions and consider your own vision and lifestyle. Then you can make wonderful, informed decisions about your home. And remember, even a dirt floor, or a blanket spread across a late summer lawn, can provide the perfect setting for an unforgettable occasion with family and friends! AMHD CORRECTION: In last month’s home and design story, Fair Oaks at Regency Park in Pasadena was misidentifed as Fair Oaks in South Pasadena.

Outstanding Quality & Craftsmanship Custom Kitchen Room Additions General Remodeling Over 30 Years Experience Brad Coleman Construction Inc. 626-398-3800 WWW.BRADCOLEMANCONSTRUCTION.COM

Lic# 430617

Your Local Real Estate Expert 25 years of experience putting my clients first when buying or selling a property!

My extensive market knowledge and effective negotiation skills will get you the price you want for your home when you are selling, and the price you want when making that important lifetime purchase.

Visit my website: Vlacich.com

Tom and Jeff have built beautiful homes in the San Gabriel Valley for over 30 years.

Lin Vlacich 626.396.3975 Email me: Vlacichs@aol.com Mobile: 626.688.6464 Fax: 626.229.0515

38 | ARROYO | 09.11

C ELEBRATE S UMMER

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AT

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55 E. Holly St. Pasadena CA 91103 626-577-3400 Hours: Mon.-Sat.,11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

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at Westfield Santa Anita lower level next to Macy’s

cocktailhomestore.com

626.254.0880 09.11 | ARROYO | 39

Witches and Goblins and Ghosts...

Oh My!

Fancy That!

Gifts, Home Accents & Seasonal DĂŠcor 2575 & 2491 Mission Street | San Marino | CA 91108 626 403 2577 | www.fancythat.us.com 40 | ARROYO | 09.11

DINING Bar 1886 at The Raymond Restaurant 1250 S. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena (626) 441-3136 Theraymond.com Bar menu: $4 – $12

Splendor in the Grass

Sunday, Tuesday through Thursday, 4:30 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Friday and Saturday, 4:30 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Bar 1886 is the rare establishment that takes full advantage of SoCal’s most precious resource --- the great outdoors.

BY BRADLEY TUCK

Considering the benign nature of the climate, it often surprises me how limited the options for alfresco dining and drinking seem to be in Southern California. Pasadena days might be hot and smoggy in the summer, but the nights usually cool down; and even when the midnight mercury is elevated, there’s a sultriness to the air that makes one feel like a rare orchid, coddled in atomized velvet.

One place with an embarrassment of options for soaking up the night air is The Raymond Restaurant. A year or so ago, they debuted their bar, 1886 (a nod to the original Raymond Hotel’s opening year), and in the process, remodeled their outdoor areas. Off the cocktail bar is a beautiful, intimate patio shaded by an ancient wisteria vine, while ringing the property are two large patios, one of them featuring a gorgeous river-rock fireplace. I’d venture to say they are among the most charming patios in the L.A. area.

And I think it would be churlish not to mention that their cocktail program, by Marcos Tello, is easily the best in Pasadena. The new summer menu is broken down into sections --- regional, seasonal and “shaken and stirred.” There’s a “parlor hour” Tuesday through Friday, from 5 to 7 p.m., which offers a specialty cocktail for $7, along with a “$2 off” food menu.

When I popped in at 6 on a recent Thursday evening, it was already packed. It’s a small space, and most of the seating was taken by groups of friends and couples on dates. I got a seat at the small communal table and asked Greg Germenian, the evening’s mixologist, to make me something interesting from the menu. I started with the Vintage Caprice --- Beefeater Gin, dry vermouth, Bénédictine and orange bitters, all aged in a bourbon barrel for four months. It was a lovely, elegant drink, to be sipped –continued on page 46

Piña Colada Cocktail 09.11 | ARROYO | 41

arroyo

RESOURCE GUIDE ARCHITECTS HARTMANBALDWIN DESIGN/BUILD HartmanBaldwin Design/Build is a fully integrated Architecture, Construction and Interior Design Company specializing in upscale remodels, additions, historic restorations and new custom homes for highly discerning individuals that are passionate about their home and lifestyle. We pride ourselves in being chosen by clients who look for a full service firm that will provide them with outstanding design services, cutting-edge materials and products, quality construction that is sustainable and energy-efficient, as well as a relationship that goes beyond the duration of a project. Call 626.486.0510 to schedule your complimentary design consultation. HartmanBaldwin.com.

JAMES COANE & ASSOCIATES Since 1994, James V. Coane, has specialized in: custom residences, estates, historic renovations and expansions, residential and apartment interiors, multi-family residential, corporate interiors, retail and small commercial building design. American Institute of Architects award winners, and named Best Architect by Pasadena Weekly, their projects have been in Architectural Digest and other magazines and used as locations for filming and fashion shoots.

Well-versed in historical and modern architecture and design and known for attention to detail on all projects. Visit jvca.com or call (626) 584-6922.

NOTT & ASSOCIATES The “Design/Build” team of Tom and Jeffrey Nott specializes in custom homes in Pasadena.Tom Nott received his Bachelor of Architecture at USC, and has worked for decades on major projects. His work includes projects including for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the L.A.Subway and countless commercial parks. Jeff began in the field at age 12, attended UCLA and UCSB and has built custom homes with distinguished designers in Beverly Hills and Bel-Air.Together they have completed over 130 projects in South Pasadena alone. Nott and Associates provides complete design through construction services, fulfilling your vision and appreciating your budget.Visit NOTTASSOCIATES.com or call (626) 403-0844.

BUILDERS & REMODELERS J. HARRINGTON CONSTRUCTION CORP. Jan Harrington's high standards and small, friendly staff specialize in designing and constructing custom kitchens, baths and 42 | ARROYO | 09.11

room additions. You’ll find examples of beautiful remodels and renovations in homes throughout San Gabriel Valley for over 25 years.Custom designed cabinetry from simple to ornate are now built inhouse. Harrington and her project manager coordinate logistics and staffing amidst the hustle and bustle of daily work sites. 626-791-5556 JanEcoConsruction.com

HEALTH & BEAUTY AURORA LAS ENCINAS HOSPITAL Behavioral health care treatment options are offered for patients with psychiatric, chemical dependency, or co-occurring disorders. Psychiatric services include inpatient, partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs. has remained committed to quality care and service to the community for over 100 years, and grown to include 118 licensed acute care beds, plus 38 residential treatment beds. The hospital is licensed by the State of California and accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Please call 626795-9901 or 800-792-2345 and ask for the Assessment & Referral Department.

CHRISTINE WON, M.D. What is Concierge Medicine? It’s a type of practice that allows you to spend 30 minutes for office visits (rather than 8 minutes in a traditional practice). You’ll be treated like a person instead of a number. We’ll focus on preventive care to maintain your good health through a comprehensive annual physical that includes extensive blood tests, EKG, metabolic test and much more. Call us for info and how to join at (626) 793-8455.

DR.GREGORY VIPOND, MD FOR VIP FACIAL ARTISTRY Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery have the power to restore, enhance and correct. In the right hands, it can boost your self-esteem and outlook on life, give you a wealth of confidence, and transform how you are seen and treated by others. Dr. Gregory Vipond’s goal for every patient is for them to leave his office without appearing to have ever seen him by restoring and enhancing a patient’s natural beauty. Call today for a complimentary consultation.

626) 357-6222 or (877) 358-FACE drvipond.com or vipfacialartistry.com 51 North Fifth Avenue Suite 202 Arcadia, California 91006 DR. MARILYN MEHLMAUER Having smooth, youthful skin is the first step to feeling great about your appearance. Dr. Marilyn Mehlmauer offers a wide variety of

solutions for any problem areas on your face. Whether you have lines, wrinkles or acne, we have a remedy to restore the elasticity and refine the appearance of your skin. Visit us and explore our facial rejuvenation treatment options. Call and schedule your consultation today, (626) 585-9474.

INTERIOR DESIGNERS CYNTHIA BENNETT Cynthia Bennett & Associates has been a celebrated design and build firm for almost 30 years. They specialize in innovative kitchen and bath design, general construction, historical renovation, project management and interior design. With all areas of residential design and construction being taken care of by Cynthia Bennett and Associates, Inc., each detail will be thought of and coordinated. Call for a consultation at (626) 799-9701.

INTERIOR SPACES COCKTAIL HOME Cocktail Home specializes in unique, design-forward barware, house ware, and home furnishings, including art from talented local artists. Cocktail Home is home entertaining's best kept secret! Mixologist Dan who works alongside fellow owner Suzanne, has won numerous awards and recognitions including ranking in the Top 5 for GQ Magazine/Bombay Sapphire cocktail contest in Los Angeles,944 Magazine's Top 4 "Best Sangria Recipe" in Los Angeles, City of Long Beach "Cocktail of the Week", and was a featured bartender in Patterson's Beverage Journal. Come in and let us bring cocktail culture to your home! cocktailhomestore.com In Westfield Santa Anita MAUDE WOODS Stepping into Maude Woods: Artful Living, shoppers may feel they’ve entered someone’s beautiful home. Owner Carrie Davich mixes new upscale furnishings with vintage and renovated second-hand treasures.

Within this “home” shoppers can find a unique hostess gift for $25, a $5,000 table and a variety of beautiful items in between.

55 E. Holly St., Pasadena. Call (626) 5773400 or visit maudewoods.com MODERN LIGHTING Modern Lighting has been serving Southern California's lighting needs since 1946. With all types of fixtures in every price range, you’ll find what you want. If not, we do custom design. We have stocks of light bulbs to compliment your fixture and we continually watch the marketplace for the best buys. Our staff

has decades of lighting experience.. Feel free to contact us if our service is what you are looking for: call (626) 286-3262.

JEWELRY, ART & ANTIQUES FANCY THAT! Unwary visitors will be whisked inside Fancy That! by a coven of wicked witches, ready to turn your All Hallows Eve into a memorable moment in time. Within you’ll find a bewitching batch of creepy crawlers, inspired web works and tasty tricks and treats. Whether shopping or simply celebrating this most unique season, Fancy That! is a spellbinding, not-to-be missed spot to experience with your family and friends. See you there, if you dare! Fancy That! 2575 & 2491 Mission St., San Marino 626 403 2577 fancythat.us.com JOHN MORAN AUCTIONEERS A full-service auction house for over 40 years, John Moran Auctioneers is internationally recognized as a leader in sales of exceptional antiques, fine art, jewelry and eclectic estate items. In addition to monthly Estate Auctions, Moran’s conducts tri-annual California and American Art auctions featuring top 19th and 20th century Impressionist and Western artists. Clients value Moran’s for expertise and dedication to top-quality personalized service. For information about consigning, purchasing at auction, estate services, appraisals, and free walk-in Valuation Days, please call (626) 793-1833 or visit johnmoran.com.

WAYNE JASON JEWELRY DESIGNS Wayne Jason Jewelry Designs has been in business since 1987, in the same location in the city of Pasadena, California. Wayne designs most of his own jewelry and manufactures it on the premises, eliminating a middleman. Wayne Jason Jewelry Designs offers unique, often one of a kind, top quality jewelry pieces at a value well below the competition. Most of our designs can be made in any color gold, 18-karat or 14karat, with any stones. 105 West California Blvd., Pasadena - 626 795-9215

OUTDOOR LIVING CARSON-MAGNESS LANDSCAPES We blend artistry and ecology to create gardens that are at one with you and with nature. We are a full service landscape design, installation, and maintenance company that works with you to transform your outdoors into a beautiful sanctuary, while providing you peace of mind throughout –continued on page 46

e t tas

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the flavors of arroyo

MALBEC NEW ARGENTINEAN CUISINE 1001 E. Green St., Pasadena (626) 683-0550 10151 Riverside Dr., Toluca Lake (818) 762-4860 Malbeccuisine.com

CUISINE

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Argentina is world famous for its cuisine, and Malbec Argentinean Bistro brings that cuisine to Pasadena with their homemade salads, pastas, fish and an abundant selection of their signature free range meats prepared on a wood-fire grill.

Elegant, yet casual, Malbec offers the perfect dining experience. From its warm and inviting lighting, to its rustic, yet charming decor, you'll feel the essence of the Argentinean pampa, while dining in a modern atmosphere.

DINERS’ FAVORITES

PRICE

1. Costa Patagonia ($9.95) 2. Homemade Sorrentinos ($15.95) 3. Ojo de Bife al ajo (rib eye) ($25.95)

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MAMMA’S BRICK OVEN PIZZA 710 Fair Oaks S. Pasadena (626) 799-1344

For Fine Chinese the Moon is Blue FROM APPETIZER TO ENTREE TO DRINK, YOUR CHINESE CONNECTION

BY DAN O’HERON Following owner Colin Tom’s precept that what is prepared without effort is eaten without pleasure, his chefs are driven to turn out some remarkable dishes.

Chipping away at complementary wonton crispers while studying the menu, many patrons will speak up for the trial and error that must have gone into creating the perfectly blended dip of plum, sauce, sugar and vinegar. Tip: If NEW MOON you should go on to order a barbecue pork rib appetizer – RESTAURANT & BAR save some of this to embellish it.

2138 Verdugo Blvd.

If debate develops over which of the eight appetizer Montrose plates to choose, the person who selects “Rangoon (818) 249- 4393 Shrimp” is the one I’d follow. These golden, butterflied wonnewmoonrestaurants.com ton wrappers enclose a deft melding of shrimp, chopped scallion and soft and fluffy cream cheese.

Experienced patrons can’t say enough about three of Tom’s signature entrees: One, “Shelby’s Chicken,” named after his youngest daughter, is deceptively delightful. A splitsecond after a mildly sweet first taste, a surprise attack of zestful spice bursts forth. Another, the restaurant’s most popular dish, proudly named after Tom’s oldest daughter, is “Chloe’s Shrimp.” Audibly crunchy, slightly sweet, it has a sneaking suspicion of garlic --just enough. A third is the landmark chicken salad invented by Tom’s father, Wallace, some 50 years ago at New Moon in Downtown’s L.A.’s garment district restaurant (there’s also a Blue Moon in Valencia). In this full-meal salad ($10.95), slow-roasted chicken chunks, crisped with roasted almonds and sesame seeds, are loaded with varied herb seasonings that surprise with each new bite. It is a rare salad dish that gets scuffed down to porcelain nearly every time it’s tossed.

Kick-starting at 5 p.m., an economic Happy Hour doesn’t run out until closing. A bar menu, featuring $3 to $4 appetizer plates, includes the fabulous “Shrimp Rangoon.”

In a word: one great-tasting dish after another rises nightly at New Moon. ■

CUISINE

VIBE

Wow! One look at Mamma’s Brick Oven menu - and you’ll know you’ve left ordinary pizza far behind. This ambitious menu boasts everything from artichoke hearts, and sundried tomatoes to pesto and goat cheese - handcrafted, baked-on-the stone, using only the finest ingredients.

New York Style Gourmet Pizza & Pasta establishment with an open kitchen and a comprehensive menu with 14 Mouthwatering Pizzas, 25 must try Pastas, Calzones, Stromboli, Gourmet Pizza by-the-slice and much, much more. Call Now!

PRICE

DINERS’ FAVORITES

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1. The Roma Pizza ($16.99) 2. Shrimp Scampi ($10.99) 3. Pasta with Clams ($8.99)

TIBET NEPAL HOUSE 36 E. Holly Street Old Pasadena (626) 585-0955 Tibetnepalhouse.com

CUISINE

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We are pleased to present you our gourmet cookery, which brings the exclusive and contemporary flavors of Nepal Tibet, north of India’s homeland, to you here at Tibet Nepal House.

Exotic paintings and photos studding the walls may set you dreaming about life at the top of the world, but it’s the delicious takes from the kitchen that will have you rising to the occasion.

DINERS’ FAVORITES

PRICE

1. Lamb Shank ($17.99) 2. House Special Sampling Platter ($10.99) 3. Baby Egg Plant ($9.99)

PRICE: $$$$$ up to $10

$$$$$ $11–15

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09.11 | ARROYO | 43

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

Education & ENRICHMENT

Accendo Learning Center Accendo Learning Center offers a variety of classes in preparation for high school math courses, as well as preparation for the SAT. Accendo’s highly qualified Math teacher has proven to be extremely effective in helping students succeed in their math classes. To learn more, visit us at accendolearning.com. 217 N. Garfield Avenue, Alhambra, Ca 91801. (626)673-5456 Altadena Stables Altadena Stables is a full-service facility and offers a safe and friendly environment for your riding enjoyment.

Boarded horses are attended to 24/7 by experienced caretakers who live on the property. The location is next to the Arroyo and its beautiful forest trails. Instruction is provided on reliable stable horses by two professional horsewomen and trainers, who offer lessons, camps, clinics and groups for riders of all ages and skill levels. altadenastables.blogspot.com Barnhart School Join our community of inspired educators and involved parents where academic excellence is just the beginning. The Barnhart experience does more than educate children.

It energizes them to be life-long learners with boundless curiosity and the confidence to excel. Contact us today for more information on a K-8 education. Barnhart School is at 240 West Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007 626-446-5588. barnhartschool.org Boys & Girls Club of Pasadena The boys & Girls Clubs of Pasadena promotes the health, safety education, social, vocational and character development of boys and girls ages 5 through 17. The club’s goal is to improve the lives of children by helping them build self-assurance and develop leadership skills while reinforcing positive values in safe and enjoyable atmosphere.

Visit bgcpasadena.org.

Chyten Educational Excellence Dedicated to giving students personal attention and exceptional customer service, Chyten offers premiere tutoring services. Neil Chyten started tutoring in the Boston area 25 years ago. Chyten has grown to 36 locations from coast to

44 | ARROYO | 09.11

coast.Chyten Educational Services only hires experienced teachers who hold master's degrees or PhDs. They tutor on all subjects and work with ages from kindergarten through adult. We special focus on test preparation, practice tests, study skills and college counseling. 1012 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste B, Arcadia 626-445-1000 chyten.com Delphi Academy Delphi Academy is a K-12 school on a beautiful 10-acre campus surrounded by equestrian trails that offers an exciting summer program of fun and enrichment. Activities include adventurous camping & day trips to the beach, aquarium, Imax, Greyhound Rescue, Castaic Lake, a wild animal show, hiking, sports, cultural theme weeks, movie making, urban outdoor survival week, music cafe and more.

A wide range of challenging courses include study skills, science, math, literature, and SAT & college prep.

Call (818) 583-1070.

Drucker School of Management The Drucker School of Management in Claremont offers a world-class graduate management education through our MBA, Executive MBA, Financial Engineering, and Arts Management degree programs. Our programs infuse Peter Drucker’s principle of management as a liberal art along with our core strengths in strategy and leadership. We offer individualized, flexible course scheduling, an innovative curriculum focusing on valuesbased management, and the opportunity to learn from worldrenowned faculty. To learn more, visit us at drucker.cgu.edu.

Justine Sherman & Associates, Inc. Justine Sherman & Associates is a nonpublic agency serving the speechlanguage, orofacial myology, and educational needs of young toddlers through adults. We strive to provide our clients with exceptional therapy and support so that they may achieve their greatest potential. Call (626) 3551729 or visit justineshermanslp.com.

L.A. Music Academy Founded in 1996, the LA Music Academy College of Music is regarded as one of the premiere music schools in the world for students who desire an intimate and friendly, yet serious and rigorous contemporary music educa-

—ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT—

tion. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the school offers A.A. degrees and diplomas in music production (music producer major) and music performance for drums, bass, vocals or guitar (guitar performance major and artist development emphasis). Visit lamusicacademy.com for more information.

Pasadena Child Development Associates Pasadena Child Development Associates is a 501c(3) non-profit agency that provides quality, familycentered, multidisciplinary services to hundreds of children, birth through 18 years of age, with autism and other developmental disabilities in the Pasadena and surrounding area each year. PCDA is located at 620 N. Lake Ave. in Pasadena.

For more information regarding programs and services, call (626) 793-7350 or visit pasadenachilddevelopment.org.

Renaissance Academy Renaissance Academy is located in La Cañada. We are fully accredited

by WASC. We provide a safe and loving environment where children can grow into self-reliant, competent individuals. We create a customized educational program that embraces the child’s own goals. We give them ONE ON ONE attention and guide them through their education.

Students learn study skills that ensure they can learn anything they desire enabling them to be successful individuals contributing to a better society. renaissanceacademy.com ■

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CALL TO ENROLL TODAY! 818-952-3055

Training

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ALTADENA STABLES EDUCATION SERVICES AND MATERIALS BASED ON THE WORKS OF L. RON HUBBARD

www.renaissanceacademy.com

3064 Ridgeview Dr. Altadena (626) 797-2012 www.altadenastables.blogspot.com 09.11 | ARROYO | 45

DINING

arroyo

RESOURCE GUIDE –continued from page 42 the process. For over 20 years we have been bringing our passion for art and the environment to residential, commercial and various architectural, landscape and construction projects throughout southern California. 818-241-2128 carson-magness.com GARDEN VIEW LANDSCAPE Specializing in landscaping, nurseries and pools, Garden View Inc. can take you from a design idea to a finished, detail-oriented garden. Garden View & their clientele are recipients of 60 awards from the California Landscape Contractors Association. The intent of the company is to provide highquality interrelated outdoor services. The synergy between having their own designer/project managers, in-house crews, their own large nursery, and being a licensed pool builder provides for efficiency, competitive pricing, quality and schedule control. Call (626) 303-4043.

HUNTINGTON POOLS & SPAS Huntington Pools & Spas designs and builds custom pools, spas, and outdoor spaces. We create spaces that complement your home’s overall landscape and architecture using a combination of engineering, form, and fit. Our philosophy is that each project should have a unique balance and connection to the property's overall landscape and architecture. We view each of our waterscapes as a unique work of art and use only top industry professionals, select finish products, and proven technologies. 626-332-1527 – huntingtonpools.com

REAL ESTATE KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY, NATALIE AGUILAR-VOGIE As a dedicated Real Estate professional, Natalie Aguilar–Vogie of Keller Williams Realty believes that “The Best Things in Life are not Things, it’s people”. Natalie has a Senior Real Estate Specialist designation and assists Baby Boomers in down sizing and divesting of Real Estate for a simpler life and can provide you with the resources and information needed to make the best decision for you and your family regarding buying, selling or moving to a Retirement community. Contact Natalie at 626-379-6742, NatalieAguilar@kw.com or visit pasadenahomesearch.com for more information.

SOTHEBY’S, LIN VLACICH Lin Vlacich of Sotheby’s, a 25-year veteran in the real estate profession, is known for her reputation and success as a leader 46 | ARROYO | 09.11

in the San Gabriel Valley brokerage community, as well as for high professional ethics, superior negotiating skills, innovative marketing plans and extensive knowledge of real estate sales. Committed to excellence in representing buyers and sellers throughout Pasadena, San Marino, South Pasadena and the surrounding communities. Call (626) 688-6464 or (626) 396-3975 or email vlacichs@aol.com

SENIOR RESOURCES FAIR OAKS BY REGENCY PARK Regency Park Senior Living, with over 40 years’ experience, is renowned in Pasadena for its luxurious, beautifully-appointed senior communities. The Fair Oaks

by Regency Park is Pasadena’s most luxurious independent and assisted living senior community. Here residents enjoy a lifestyle of relaxed elegance and the opportunity to select from a broad array of services and activities—from fine dining and daily housekeeping to assistance with any of the activities of daily living. At The Fair Oaks, you can live entirely independently or choose the level of care that you require. 951 S. Fair Oaks Ave., South Pasadena. 626-921-4108. Visit us at regencypk.com for more information PROVIDENCE ST. ELIZABETH (PROVIDENCE ST. JOSEPH’S) Providence St. Elizabeth Care Center is a 52 bed skilled nursing facility. We offer an array of health care services for residents to enjoy themselves with family and friends. To complement our reputation for caring, our specially trained staff works in partnership with residents, families, doctors, referring hospitals, and health professionals to make sure residents' needs are met. As a skilled nursing facility, Providence St. Elizabeth is staffed 24 hours a day by licensed professionals specially trained in geriatric medicine. For more information or to tour Providence St. Elizabeth Care Center, please call (818) 980-3872.

TERRACES AT PARK MARINO The Terraces at Park Marino is a modern assisted-living community located in Pasadena, up against the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and overlooking the dramatic vistas of Eaton Canyon. Terraces at Park Marino is located at 2587 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, Ca 91107.

626-798-6753, parkmarino.com, marketing@parkmarino.com

Cherry Daiquiri Cocktail

South patio

Bar interior

–continued from page 41 slowly, with notes of orange peel and a long finish. The depth of flavor imparted by the time in barrel was highlighted when Greg made me a version that hadn’t gone through the aging process. The flavors now were bright and clear, kicked along with the garnish of lemon peel.

Chef Tim Guiltinan has put together a great, light bar menu --- snacky but sophisticated. I had twice-cooked squid with marinated olives, artichokes and orange. It‘s a lovely mixture of textures, with the artichoke’s firmness balancing the tender squid.

And the orange complemented my cocktail very nicely.

Next up, I picked a cocktail from the “shaken” section of the menu. Created by Julian Cox, who developed the drinks programs for L.A.’s Rivera, Picca and Sotto restaurants, the Barbacoa is a blend of mezcal, chipotle purée, agave nectar, ginger syrup and limes, garnished with beef jerky and red bell pepper. This is quite possibly one of the most intense cocktail experiences I’ve had. It was spicy, smoky, tart and sweet --- layer upon layer of flavors. Certainly not for the faint of heart, it’s a cocktail that doesn’t emasculate the drinker in the way that a drink ending in “tini” might. To soak it up, I went for Tim’s crispy Szechuan fish. The crunch of the batter encasing the fish morsels was just what I needed, and the sweet-spicy sauce sang along with my cocktail. As I left for the Fillmore Gold Line station a short walk away, I noticed that the patios outside were starting to fill up. Their new furniture had arrived that day and was sitting there, box fresh, waiting for more diners. It was a hot evening, and the mountains in the distance were a pinkish haze. And as I tottered up Fair Oaks to catch my train home, so was I. ||||

THE LIST

A SELECTIVE PREVIEW OF UPCOMING EVENTS COMPILED BY JOHN SOLLENBERGER

PHOTOS: Courtesy of the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens (The 28th annual Succulent Plants Symposium); courtesy of Dr. Ron McCurdy (The Ron McCurdy Collective); Danielle Klebanow (Latino Heritage Month); Andrea Baldeck (“Closely Observed”)

HUNTINGTON HAPPENINGS

The Huntington Ranch urban agricultural

LABOR DAY ON THE LAWN

Catering from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Activities

Sept. 3 — The 28th an-

station, not normally open to visitors, from

Sept. 5 — Celebrate

are free with Descanso admission.

nual Succulent Plants

10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free with museum

Labor Day with a

Sept. 10 — Display horticulturist Mike

Symposium features

admission; no reservations required.

party in “Boddy’s Big

Brown discusses harvest basics for au-

Steven Hammer, a

Sept. 24 — A symposium on the “Reli-

Backyard” (the for-

tumn planting at 11 a.m., with advice on

leading expert on

gious and Spiritual Concepts in the Gar-

mer property of Des-

how and when to rotate and harvest-

mesembs --- the ice

dens of China” explores the connection

canso founder E.

crops, amend soil and compost. The cost

plant family --- as keynote speaker at the

between Buddhism and the private and

Manchester Boddy, pictured) from

is $15 ($10 for members). John Lyons con-

event, running from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

imperial gardens of Chinese emperors,

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Family activities include

ducts a class on ways to replace a water-

The $75 fee includes lunch. An optional

guzzling lawn with climate-appropriate

dinner is available at an additional cost.

plants, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. The cost is

Call (626) 405-3504 to register.

$30 ($20 for members).

Sept. 7 — Bonsai expert Thomas Elias dis-

Sept. 17 — The Sturt

cusses the history of penjing, the Chinese

Haaga Gallery grand

art of miniature trees and rockery (known

opening starts at

as bonsai in Japan), at 7:30 p.m. There’s

2 p.m. with “Closely

no additional cost for admission, and no

Observed,” an exhibition of botanical

reservations are required.

Sept. 8 — David Leaser presents an

photographs by artist Andrea Baldeck.

illustrated lecture on Hawaii’s botanical

Free with Descanso admission.

wonders, drawing on his book, Tropical

Sept. 24 — “The Garden Before ‘The Gar-

Gardens of Hawaii. Leaser will demon-

dens’” festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,

strate how to photograph plants using

celebrating local Native American her-

the techniques and equipment he writes

itage with classic children’s stories told at

about in his book. A plant sale follows the

various stations, basket-weaving demon-

program, which starts at 2:30 p.m. No ad-

strations and the opening of the interac-

ditional cost for admission, and no reser-

tive Yamino-Kwiti Adventure Trail, based

vations are required.

on a book of the same name. Free with

Sept. 9 & 10 — “Samuel Johnson: New

Descanso admission.

Contexts for a New Century” tackles his texts at a two-day conference about the 18th-century poet, author and lexicographer, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

The cost is $25. Call (626) 405-3432 or email researchconference@huntington.org to register.

Sept. 22 — The Ron

THE AUTRY SPOTLIGHTS LATINO HERITAGE

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818) 949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.

CELEBRATING SOUTH STREET Sept. 16 — The new musical comedy

South Street opens today at the

Sept. 15 — To mark Latino Heritage Month (Sept. 15 through Oct. 15), the Autry National

Pasadena Playhouse and continues

McCurdy Collective

Center highlights Latino culture’s contributions to the American West with special

through Oct. 16. The production centers

performs an evening

gallery tours, a Latino collections web page, family activities and lectures examining

on Sammy’s Place, where Philadelphia lo-

of music by Li Jinhui,

the lives of Californios (Spanish-speaking Catholics born in California before 1848) and

cals celebrate life; but the club’s future is

the late “father of

the work of contemporary artists and scholars.“Art Along the Hyphen: The Mexican-

thrown into jeopardy when the ownership

Chinese popular

American Generation,” an exhibition of works by Mexican-American artists, opens Oct.

is threatened. Roger Castellano directs;

music,” at 7 p.m. Li collaborated with

14 and continues through Jan. 8, 2012. Free with Autry admission.

choreography is by Dana Solimando and

American jazz artist Buck Clayton and

The Autry National Center is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. Call

scenic design by Andy Walmsley;

ushered in an era of Chinese jazz that

(323) 667-2000 or visit theautry.org.

Andrew Sotomayor is the music super-

dominated the Southeast Asian night-

visor and Michael Borth the musical

club scene in the 1930s. The multi-

director. The curtain rises at 8 p.m.

faceted program features works for

Tuesdays through Fridays, 4 and 8 p.m.

piano, pipa and jazz quintet, performed

Saturdays and 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays.

by pianist Jing Ling Tam, pipa and vocal

monks and scholars. Admission is free,

a native plants walk at 10 a.m. and morn-

Tickets range from $39 to $69, with

artist Min Xiao-Fen and the Ron McCurdy

but call (626) 405-3503 to register.

ing storytelling and afternoon craft ses-

premium seating available for $100.

Quintet. The cost is $15 ($10 for mem-

The Huntington Library, Art Collections

sions; the Mobile Homeboys break out

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39

bers). Call (626) 405-2128 for tickets.

and Botanical Gardens is located at

the band at noon. Guests are welcome to

S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 356-

Sept. 24 — Learn about sustainable gar-

1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (626)

bring picnics (usually not permitted) or

7529 or visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.

dening in a behind-the-scenes tour of

405-2100 or visit huntington.org.

purchase barbecue dishes from Patina

–continued on page 48 09.11 | ARROYO | 47

THE LIST

240 West Colorado Blvd., Arcadia, CA 91007 626.446.5588 www.barnhartschool.org

–continued from page 47

A WORLD OF MUSIC IN L.A.

L.A. OPERA SEASON OPENS WITH TCHAIKOVSKY CLASSIC

Sept. 22 through Oct. 2 — As part of the 2011 Angel City Jazz Festival, titled “Global

Sept. 17 — Los Ange-

Jam,” world-class acts visit six top venues

les Opera opens its

--- the Los Angeles County Museum of Art

2011--12 season at

(LACMA), the Roy and Edna Disney Con-

the Dorothy Chandler

cert Hall (REDCAT), the John Anson Ford

Pavilion with the

Amphitheatre, the Colburn School of

Tchaikovsky master-

Music’s Zipper Concert Hall, The Echoplex

piece Eugene Onegin, conducted by

and the downtown L.A. jazz club The Blue

James Conlon. The production was cre-

Whale. Some performances are free, oth-

ated by the late stage director Steven

ers require paid tickets; prices vary. Here

Pimlott and is staged here by Francesca

are some highlights:

Gilpin. The opera tells the story of a naïve

Sept. 22 — The festival opens with the Aus-

girl’s letter to a sophisticated gentleman

tralian cult band The Necks performing at

that launches an unstoppable series of

8:30 and 10 p.m. at The Blue Whale (Weller

events, culminating in a duel and the end

Court, 123 Astronaut E.S. Onizuka St., Ste.

of a star-crossed love affair. Slovak bari-

301, L.A.).

tone Dalibor Jenis makes his company

Sept. 23 --- LACMA (5905 Wilshire Blvd.,

debut in the title role, Ukrainian soprano

L.A.) hosts the winners of the Angel City

Oksana Dyka is Tatyana and Russian tenor

Jazz Young Artist Competition and the

Vsevolod Grivnov plays Lensky, with Russ-

Larry Karush Quintet, starting at 6 p.m.

ian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk

Sept. 24 --- The Echoplex in Echo Park (1822

as Olga and bass James Creswell, a for-

Sunset Blvd.) welcomes world music by

mer L.A. Opera resident artist, as Prince

Burkina Electric and Lukas Ligeti at 9 p.m.

Gremin. The opening performance starts

Sept. 25 --- REDCAT (631 W. Second St., L.A.)

at 7:30 p.m. today, with additional per-

presents an 8:30 p.m. concert by Theo

formances at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21, 2 p.m.

Bleckmann and the band Tiny Resistors.

Sept. 25, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1 and 6 and 2 p.m.

Sept. 30 --- Zipper Concert Hall (200 S.

Oct. 9. Tickets cost $20 to $270.

Grand Ave., L.A.) hosts The Edmar Cas-

The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is located

taneda Quartet and the Nick Mancini

at 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

Trio, with special guest Otmaro Ruiz,

Call (213) 972-8001 or visit laopera.com.

starting at 8 p.m.

Oct. 1 — The festival’s

FOOTHILL UNITY CENTER HAILS HUMANITARIANS

signature afternoon

Sept. 22 — Robin

Jam” features the

Salzer of Robin’s

Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra (pictured),

WoodFire BBQ in Pasadena and Mon-

the duo of Satoko Fujii and Natsuki

rovia Mayor Bob

Tamura, The Kandinsky Effect, The Tigran

Bartlett will be hon-

Quintet and Indian duo Rudresh Mahan-

ored with Heart in Hand Humanitarian

thappa and Samdhi, starting at 5 p.m. at

Awards at the Foothill Unity Center’s 13th

the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre (2580

annual Golden Plate Awards dinner, from

Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood).

6 to 9 p.m. at Santa Anita Park.The event in-

Oct. 2 --- The festival

cludes silent and live auctions, an al fresco

concludes with an

trackside dinner, live entertainment and

8:30 p.m. tribute to

more.The center provides more than 4,000

Roscoe Mitchell (pic-

low-income families from Pasadena to Bald-

tured) at REDCAT, featuring an all-star band

win Park with food, crisis assistance and health services.Tickets cost $75 per person.

led by composer/percussionist Alex Cline.

Santa Anita Park is located at 285 W. Hunt-

Visit angelcityjazz.com for complete

ington Dr., Arcadia. Call (626) 358-3486 or

festival information.

visit foothillunitycenter.org.

48 | ARROYO | 09.11

–continued on page 50

PHOTOS: Clive Barda (Eugene Onegin); courtesy of Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra; Elvira Faltemeir (Roscoe Mitchell)

and evening “Global

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THE LIST

–continued from page 48

Mexico City–born Alec Dempster, who

LADIES LAUGH NIGHT BENEFITS CANCER SUPPORT

grew up in Toronto; and Sergio Sánchez-

Sept. 23 — The Cancer Support Commu-

Tlayacapan, now residing in Mexico City.

nity Pasadena presents “Ladies Night Out

The Folk Tree is located at 217 S. Fair Oaks

2011” at the Ice House Comedy Club, a

Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 795-8733 or

5:30 p.m. benefit celebrating women

visit folktree.com.

Santamaría, from the Mexican city of

touched by cancer. The event includes a cocktail reception hosted by Wells Fargo,

CHOCOLATE LOVERS’ SWEET SPOT

dinner, a comedy show, silent and live

Sept. 25 — Taste TV’s

auctions and more. The nonprofit Cancer

fifth annual “Los Ange-

Support Community Pasadena provides

les Luxury Chocolate

free lectures and programs for those bat-

Salon” takes place

tling cancer. Tickets cost $100.

from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Ice House Comedy Club is located at

at the Pasadena Con-

24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. For tickets

vention Center, where guests can taste the

and information, call (626) 796-1083 or visit

wares of more than 25 artisan chocolatiers,

cscpasadena.org/ladiesnightout.html.

sample wines and spirits and view demonstrations, chef-author talks and interviews

LACO OPENS STIMULATING SEASON WITH “ELECTRIC”

by Taste TV’s Chocolate Television program.

Tickets cost $25 in advance through Sept.

Sept. 24 — The Los

24 (available on the website) or $30 at the

Angeles Chamber

door for adults and $10 for children 6 to 12

Orchestra (LACO)

(children under 6 are admitted free).

opens the fall season

The Pasadena Convention Center is

with “Electric,” a con-

located at 300 E. Green St., Pasadena.

cert presenting West

For advance tickets and information, visit

Coast premieres of the richly orchestrated

lachocolatesalon.com.

Derek Bermel, pairing electric guitar and the

CREATOR OF CELTIC CRAFTS DISCUSSED

orchestra. Music Director Jeffrey Kahane

Sept. 27 — Friends of the Gamble House

(pictured) is at the helm, both as conductor

and the Royal Oaks Foundation host a

and as piano soloist.The performance at

7 p.m. discussion on the life and work of

the Alex Theatre in Glendale also includes

19th-century artist and designer Archibald

Mozart’s overture from The Magic Flute and

Knox, helmed by Liam O’Neill, a Knox ex-

ends with Kahane at the keyboard playing

pert, teacher, lecturer and founder of the

Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G

Archibald Knox Society, at the Pasadena

major, Op. 58.Tickets cost $24 to $105.The

Presbyterian Church. Working in an iso-

concert starts at 8 p.m., repeating at 7 p.m.

lated studio on the Isle of Man, Knox

Sept. 25 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

helped bring the Arts and Crafts Move-

The Alex Theatre is located at 216 N. Brand

ment to the masses. He was known for

Blvd., Glendale. For tickets, call (213) 622-

stunning metalwork and jewelry designs,

7001, ext. 215, or visit laco.org.

including silver clocks crafted from exotic

nello” by LACO Composer-in-Residence

materials, making objects that were both

PRINTS ON PARADE AT FOLK TREE

50 | ARROYO | 09.11

beautiful and useful. O’Neill will discuss

Through Sept. 24 —

ways in which Knox’s artwork and designs

The Folk Tree exhibition

borrowed from the natural beauty and tra-

“Memoria Grabada

ditions of Celtic culture. Tickets cost $20 for

— Recorded Memory”

general admission ($15 for Friends of the

continues through

Gamble House).

Sept. 24, highlighting

Pasadena Presbyterian Church is located

the graphic work of three North American

at 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena.

printmakers --- Boyle Heights native Daniel

Call (626) 793-3334, ext. 52, or visit

González, who curates the exhibition;

gamblehouse.org. ||||

IMAGES: Annie Appel (Jeffrey Kahane); Alec Dempster (Faces of Son Jarocho)

“Sidereus” by Osvaldo Golijov and “Ritor-